Table 1_The burden of psychological distress in stroke survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis of sociodemographic and behavioral factors.docx

The search terms were “Stroke” “Psychological Distress” and “Emotional Distress.” The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was used to evaluate the study quality, and the meta-analysis was performed using R4.3.2 software.</p>Results<p>A total of 22 observational studies involving 15,370 stroke survivors were included in this review. The pooled prevalence of psychological distress was 51.97% [95% CI: 37.79, 66.15%].

Meta-analysis revealed that protective factors against distress included receiving social support (r = −0.37, p < 0.0001), the utilization of effective coping strategies (r = −0.47, p < 0.0001), and having a spouse (OR = 0.78, p = 0.0255). Conversely, higher levels of distress were significantly associated with lower income (OR = 6.69, p = 0.0044) and increased levels of disease-related stigma (r = 0.61, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as avoidance (r = 0.48, p < 0.0001) and submission confrontation styles (r = 0.61, p < 0.0001), were identified as significant contributors to psychological morbidity.</p>Conclusion<p>Psychological distress is highly prevalent among stroke survivors.

Our findings identify social support, marital status, income, and coping mechanisms as pivotal determinants of psychological distress in stroke survivors. These results underscore the necessity of integrating targeted, multidisciplinary interventions into routine post-stroke care to alleviate distress and enhance long-term quality of life.</p>Systematic review registration<p>Identifier crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024570838.</p>